


Toads

by graciegirl2001



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M, Young!Royai, but fails, little Riza tries to be sneaky and surly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-18
Updated: 2018-11-18
Packaged: 2019-08-25 08:44:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16657873
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/graciegirl2001/pseuds/graciegirl2001
Summary: Out of all her father’s apprentices, Roy Mustang was most definitely the worst.Alternately known as: Riza is an expert prankster. And all good pranksters need a big slimy toad to get the job done.





	Toads

Out of all her father’s apprentices, Roy Mustang was most definitely the worst.

Riza had determined as much on day eight of his visit. Visit was the key word. She knew as well as anyone that he would be “invited” to leave just like the others; the thirteen year old had reminded herself such before climbing into bed many a night. Berthold Hawkeye had gone through quite a number of apprentices over the years.

There had been Stephan, the prissy rich boy who threatened to put a toad in her bed if she didn’t talk him up to famed alchemist. (Riza knew he would be too scared to pick up any toad in the first place).

There was Andrew, who nearly ate them out of house and home within the first two weeks of his visit. They literally couldn’t afford to keep him around after a while.

Not to mention Henry, who showed up thinking Berthold was going to apprentice him in automail engineering. He was quickly sent away like the others after things were set straight.

Riza had seen it all in her few years, the bullies, the idiots, the ill-mannered, and the know-it-alls. So when the naive, handsome boy from Central appeared on her doorstep that early summer day, she immediately sorted him into the spoiled rich boy category. Or maybe know-it-all. Possibly the bully. Whatever he was, he unnerved her. Mr. Mustang was altogether too quiet, and polite, and well... not-ugly to not be up to something. 

At first, she merely resented him because she couldn’t figure him out. He  _ was _ a bit of a know-it-all at times, and it was true he didn’t know how to sleep with an empty belly like many of the other townsfolk, but he still wasn’t like the others, who were quite easy to read. With those few options ruled out, that left the bully category. They were always mild-mannered at first, as to redirect any suspicion from their master. After a week or two came the clothes stealing, tripping, bug laden food, name calling, and hair tugging. Yes, a bully, that had to be it.

But as days went by, Mr. Mustang did not make a move against his teacher’s daughter. She checked her tea for any hidden grubs each morning, and made sure to hide her clothes each time she showered, but as his time at the Hawkeye house dragged on, nothing happened- leaving Riza more nervous and jumpy than usual. 

“ _ He must be one of the extra-crafty ones _ ,” she thought to herself before drifting of to sleep one night. 

The boy three years her senior must have been trying to keep not only Berthold’s suspicion away, but Riza’s as well.  _ Then _ he would make his big move. Unluckily for the clean-cut city boy, the young blonde was onto him. 

She watched him from a hidden alcove as he scoured his alchemy texts one morning, formulating her plan. If he was waiting to catch her off guard, perhaps she would just make the first move. If she played her cards right, she could scare him off before he had the chance to trick her. 

He wouldn’t know what hit him.

It was due to this train of thought that Riza found herself at the nearby pond, hunting for toads in the heat of the day. She privately thanked Stephan for the idea. Mr. Mustang would be out of the house and down the street (probably screaming like a frightened little girl) before he read one more word of her father’s alchemy books. 

Hiking up her badly mended hand-me- down shorts, she waded further into the water, enjoying the feeling of mud squishing between her toes. Easily avoiding the slippery drop off she knew to be a few feet to her right, Riza allowed the water to rise up to her chest as she peered in between a cluster of reeds.

“Whatcha doing?” 

Riza jumped, and snapped her head back at the voice. 

To her dismay, the voice belonged to a dark-haired teen sitting on the banks of the pond. His feet trailed through the water, making large ripples that would most certainly disturb any hidden toads. She groaned internally, turning back to the reeds. Maybe if she ignored him he would just go away.

“Oh I know! You’re looking for frogs,” he  exclaimed cheerfully, beginning to braid the long pieces of grass beside him.

“ _ Toads, _ ” Riza thought to herself. “ _ They’re bigger. And wartier. ...The more warts the better.” _

“The reeds are a good start, but they also like to hide in the really thick muddy parts,” Roy suggested thoughtfully.

_ “I know,”  _ she muttered in her head.  _ “But the muddiest part gives way to the drop off. I’m not dumb enough to go trudging through there.”  _

Then, like manna from heaven… an idea. 

_ The drop-off.  _ The blonde slowly raised her eyes to the boy standing on the edge of the pond. A hint of a smirk played at the corners of her mouth, but she quickly disguised it with an expression somewhere between surprise and impression. 

“The thick mud huh?” She questioned, pushing a cattail out of her face. 

Roy seemed pleased to have gotten a response. She suddenly realized those had been the first words she had spoken to him. The first words in twelve days. That had to be a new record. 

“Yeah,” he said, puffing out his chest just slightly. “I used to catch toads in the lake back at my old house. They tend to bury themselves in the stuff. Keeps them cool during the summer heat.”

Riza resisted the urge to roll her eyes. 

“Know-it-all…” she muttered under her breath.

“What was that?”

“...Nothing. I was just thinking over your suggestion. It's a brilliant one for sure! It’s just...” 

She twirled a short piece of hair between her fingers. An upperclassman, Lynette, had taught her that one.

“ _ Pop your hip, bite your lip, and twirl your hair to get a boy to do whatever you please _ ,” Riza had overheard the older girl say to a group of fascinated onlookers surrounding her in the schoolyard.

At this age, Riza didn't have real hips, and and upon biting her lip, it tasted vaguely of scummy pond water, so she worked with what she had. Her boyish blonde locks might not have been as effective as Lynette’s exotic, long, black hair, but it seemed to be doing the trick just fine.

“It's just what? I can lend a hand if you need anything,” Roy offered, standing up.

Riza put on her most defeated look. “I'm too short to reach.”

“Huh?”

She sighed. “That marshy, muddy part over there where the frogs go… it's just a bit to deep for me.”

Roy nodded. “Oh I see… I'm sure I could reach though!” 

“Could you really?” Riza questioned hopefully, wading closer. 

“Sure! I've been meaning to cool off, and I don't have a lesson with Master Hawkeye till this evening.” 

The blonde’s intent expression then turned to horror as Roy tugged off his loose button up shirt. Her face reddened, and she resisted the urge to turn around. 

Unaware of the younger girl’s panicking, the teen slipped off his shoes and made his way into the water. 

All of sudden, this entire plan seemed like a very bad idea. Riza scolded herself emphatically as she eyed his lean form in embarrassment. 

_ “Pull yourself together lousy pubescent hormones,”  _ her subconscious hollered _. “We have an operation to run!” _

“So where exactly are these little guys hiding?” Roy questioned, promptly snapping the girl out of her trance.

“It's uh… I think they’re forward a few feet. And er- to the right a bit,” Riza stuttered back, remembering her plan. This would be the last time Roy Mustang pulled a dirty trick like that.

He waded forward far too slowly, and Riza found herself just wanting get it over with an shove him forward… no, it had to look like an accident. 

“Over here?”

“Just a bit farther.”

_ Step. _

_ Step. _

_ Steeeep… _

_ And splash! _

With a yell, Roy disappeared beneath the water, feet catching on the slippery slope. 

Riza breathed a sigh of relief and allowed herself a victorious smile. That would teach him not to try and distract her again! 

However after a few seconds with no one emerging from the watery depths, the girl grew nervous. She inched closer to the area where the water still rippled. 

“Mr. Mustang?” She called timidly, eyes searching the cloudy water. 

Still, no one broke the surface.

“I’ve killed him,” Riza murmured, eyes widening in fear. “Oh nonono… I actually killed him! I meant to get him soaked not killed! And dad actually liked this one… I’m dead…” She creeped closer, beginning to panic. Maybe she could pull him out? Exactly how far down did it go again? She had touched the bottom before, she could probably swim down… but would she be able to carry him…?”

All these thoughts were broken off as Riza’s foot lost ground, sending her plunging into the water with a screech. 

Without time to grab a breath, she attempted to inhale water, leaving her choking in the confusion. The water was dark enough that it was hard to tell what was right-side up. She floundered in a panic, trying to get her bearings. 

Suddenly there was an arm around her stomach, then… sunlight. 

Riza coughed, blinking blearily and taking heaving breaths. What in the world had just happened? She had slipped, gone under, and now she was here. But how…?

Suddenly noticing the person coughing beside her, she yelped. 

“You… weren’t kidding… it was deep…” Roy got out between coughs. Then, to her surprise, he laughed. “You knew what you were talking about with the frogs though.”

With that, he held up the hand not supporting Riza. In it was a giant, wriggling, warty toad. 

“It’s a toad, not a frog, but still quite a catch. We rarely got ones this big back home,” he remarked, still sounding amused. “Oh and are you okay? I wondered why you followed me over there if you can’t reach? I didn't know if you could swim and got worried when I noticed you struggling down there.”

“I can swim… it was just dark... inhaled some water too,” Riza replied, her tone not as snarky as she had intended. She was still admiring the toad and trying to catch her breath. 

“I assumed as much. Anyhow, sorry you got all wet, messed up your hair and all,” he said, releasing his hold from her.

“It was messed up before.”

Roy shrugged. “I thought it looked nice.”

Riza suddenly realized she had been gripping his bare arm rather tightly. Her face reddened once again? And… had he just complimented her? That was a first. She blushed deeper. This boy was worse than she thought.

Both waterlogged kids made their way to the dry banks of the pond. Roy was busy keeping the massive toad from getting away, while Riza tugged absentmindedly at her wet hair. 

Once they finally laid back on the warm grass with a sigh, the dark haired teen held up his catch. 

“So what are we going to name it?” He asked with a grin. 

Riza tried desperately to ignore how genuine his smile looked. She couldn’t let him ensnare her like the others. 

“Name it? What a ridiculous notion,” She said, attempting to squeeze water out of her clothes. 

“You never name them? I’ve always thought that made it more fun,” Roy replied, not deterred in the slightest. 

The blonde scoffed, but glanced at the toad nonetheless.

“Stanley,” she finally said.

“Huh?”

“He looks like a Stanley,” she shrugged.

Roy grinned again. “I think you’re right. Sir. Stanley William Harold Princeston.” He passed the creature to her, while he tugged on the worn shirt resting on the bank.

Riza couldn’t help the laugh that escaped. “Isn’t that a bit of a mouthful?”

“Not for a Prince.”

“Doesn't Sir make him a knight?”

“That’s just a front to hide the fact that he’s secretly a prince.”

“Oh I see.” The girl smirked, beginning to forget about her attempts to ignore the apprentice. 

“You do know how to break the spell on the toad right?”

She raised an eyebrow. “I don’t.”

“You kiss him,” Roy replied, with a particular smugness.

Riza laughed again. “Sure you do.”

“Have you not read the story?”

“I’ve essentially never read anything besides alchemy textbooks Mr. Mustang.”

“Don’t you go to the library?”

“Don’t have one.”

“No library?”

“Not out here.”

Roy frowned. “We have a real big one near my aunt’s place in Central.”

“This isn’t Central.”

“I know, I know.” His eyes lit up. “Hey! How about when I go home for the holidays I bring you back some books! You wouldn't be able to keep them, but I can check out quite a few at once.”

Riza rolled over to face him. “You’d… really do that?”

“Sure! Then you can read about the Frog Prince… or Toad Prince in our case.”

“That would be incredible,” the blonde admitted, imagining all the different stories she would be able to enjoy. 

“So… are you wanting to keep the little guy? Or should we release him?”

Riza blinked in surprise. “Oh right. I’ll um…” she eyed the croaking amphibian. Sneaking him into Roy’s bed didn’t seem quite as exciting anymore. Maybe another day. “Release him. I believe Sir Stanley will be far happier back in the mud.”

Roy’s smile stretched from ear to ear. “I agree.” With one hand he pulled Riza to her feet, while he took back the toad with the other. 

The teens made their way back to the edge of the pond, the scorching sun far more bearable now that the cold water clung to their skin. 

“It has been a pleasure to make your acquaintance sire. We thank you for your time,” The dark haired alchemist spoke in a dramatic tone. Then, turning to Riza, “Last chance for a kiss.”

The girl’s head whipped around, eyes wary despite herself, before making eye contact with the toad. A kiss. Sir Stanley’s kiss. 

She sighed in relief. What a silly notion. 

“I’m quite alright, good Mr. Mustang,” the blonde replied, laughing nervously. “We wish you all the best Sir Stanley William Harrison Princeston.” She curtsied.

Roy laughed and performed a bow to match. He had quite a wonderful laugh, and Riza found herself wishing to hear it again.

“Adieu Toad Prince.”

The slimy creature was tossed gently back to his swampy home with a splash. 

The onlookers smiled as they watched the ripples on the surface of the pond fade, leaving the surface a glassy blue-green once again. 

“Man this beats doing alchemy homework any day,” Roy sighed, stretching and looking back in the direction of the Hawkeye manor. 

“Really? I thought you loved alchemy,” Riza commented, tugging on her shoes.

“I do, but it’s so intense all the time. I think that’s why Master Hawkeye is always in a bad mood.” Seeing the girl’s expression, he flushed red. “I mean… er-there’s nothing wrong with that. I didn’t mean to say anything wrong about your dad. He just seems, well… stressed.”

Riza rolled her eyes in amusement at the apprentice’ flustered attempt to backtrack. “It’s fine. You’re right, he is grumpy a lot. I’m sure taking a dip in the pond and looking for toads would put him in a lot better mindset for teaching,” the blonde replied. Then as an afterthought, “and a better mindset for talking to me once in a while.”

Roy frowned, feeling a pang of sympathy for the lonely girl. She seemed to be lost in thought. Wringing his hands, he attempted to catch her eye. “He really loves you Miss Riza… he just has an odd way of showing it.”

“I know. I just wish he would pay attention to me from time to time. But he’s busy; I get it.” She shot Roy a hesitant look. Amidst the sadness in the brown and black was something else. Resentment maybe? Or hurt? As Roy tried to decipher the girl’s gaze she shook her head firmly, whatever was there clearing.

“I’m fine really. Don’t worry about me.”

He made a move to say something but Riza interrupted.

“We had better head back.”

The dark haired teen swallowed his apology, simply nodding in agreement.

“Alright. Lead the way.”

Riza set her shoulders and set out on the dirt path, Roy only a step behind her.

The walk passed in silence for a few minutes before he gathered the courage to comment.

“You know, you can talk to me.”

“Huh?”

She kept walking, at a slower pace now.

“I know your dad’s busy, but I have a fair amount of free time. You can talk to me then.” Roy blushed. “If you’d like that is.”

Riza watched him curiously. “You really want to talk to me?

He raised his brows, taken aback. “Of course!”

The small smile that crept onto the girl’s face made Roy’s heart pound a little faster for reasons he couldn’t describe.

“I would like that very much Mr. Mustang.”

So maybe the new apprentice wasn’t that bad after all.

 

 

 


End file.
